ICHI-GO ICHI-E Bar Restaurant in Kazan
It was our first restaurant project. This project emerged from an idea to create a place in Kazan where one can leave problems behind and enjoy the moment. We worked together with Aleksander Sysoev (Sysoev FM) and Artur Galaichuk, founder of the establishment. Not an interior design for a pan-Asian restaurant but a unique
environment able to deliver a truly immersive experience and instantly carry you to one of mysterious streets somewhere in the Far East on the edge of the world – that was the challenge of the project. Great attention to detail was an important part of every stage of the work: from the concept by the Japanese architect Yusuke Takahashi to final finishes, to ensure that the project was implemented as close to the original idea as possible.
The name of the restaurant ICHI-GO ICHI-E refers to a Zen quote that can be translated as “Every encounter is unique in life”. Our state of mind, what we are going through and what we expect has a big impact, even if we meet the same people in the same place. The concept of the place comes from the idea of how unique and therefore precious each encounter is, and this is the beauty of life.
As you enter the restaurant, you see the reception desk and the portal leading inside. This area was designed so that as you pass through it, your focus gradually moves away from the hustle and bustle of the streets and your perception clears up. It has dimmed lighting and laconic design, stone slabs and gravel on the floor, red slats on the walls, resembling torii gate that marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred.
The restaurant has three zones. The first one is designed with emphasis on the traditional motifs of Japanese architecture: wooden bars intersecting at a right angle cover the walls and the ceiling, bringing to mind the sliding partitions of Japanese homes. The second zone is a zone of natural elements and organic shapes. The clean geometry of the walls meets bionic shapes of the furniture and plants, a reference to a city park in an Asian metropolis. The focal point of the central zone is an asymmetrical column, with three sides displaying thematic projections symbolising the technological achievements of Eastern countries. The space, interior and lighting of the restaurant are designed to freeze time, put a new perspective on familiar things and deliver unique experience.
The restaurant also has an open kitchen, visible as a stage from any seat and angle, where you can interact with chefs. At the same time, the seating plan and the layout of the restaurant was arranged to provide enough privacy for those who wish to have some. There is a private room for business meetings and private events separated from the main lounge by thick rice paper shoji panels with traditional Japanese ornaments.
Every encounter is unique as a work of art and deserves the right setting: the right space, light and ambience. We aspired to make this restaurant a space where one can fully embrace the moment, enjoy the combination of the familiar with the unknown through cuisine, mixology and architecture.